NEWNow you can listen to Pak Gazette articles!
The month of May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is about speed, nerves and history. This weekend, INDYCAR’s biggest stars will push their cars to the limit in qualifying for the 2026 Indy 500.
Drivers will battle for pole position over two days of qualifying action. Speeds are expected to top 230 mph as teams seek a spot on “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”
Here’s everything you need to know about the Indy 500 standings, including the TV schedule, broadcast information and format.
How to view the Indy 500 standings
- Dates: Saturday, May 16 and Sunday, May 17
- Location: Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, IN
- Television channels: FOX, FS1, FS2
- Transmission: FOX One, FOX Sports app and FOXSports.com
Indy 500 qualifying schedule
Saturday Qualifying – Day 1
Full field classification:
- Practice: 8:30 to 9:30 am ET (FS2)
- Rating: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET (FS2)
- Rating: 2 pm to 4 pm ET (FS1)
- Rating: 4 pm to 6 pm ET (FOX)
Sunday Qualifying – Day 2
- Practice: 1 pm to 3 pm ET (FS2)
- Final 15 Qualifying: 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. ET (FOX)
- Top 12 Ranking: 5 p.m. to 6:35 p.m. ET (FOX)
- Firestone Fast Six: 6:35 pm to 6:55 pm ET (FOX)
How does qualifying for the Indy 500 work?
Drivers will be able to practice on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week, and will get an extra boost on Friday to prepare for qualifying. There will be a drawing for the seeding order after practice on Friday.
On Saturday, each driver will be able to complete the four-lap race in the order of the qualifying draw. A driver does not have to post a time, but will typically go out and post a speed.
Once all cars have had a chance to qualify, there will be two qualifying lines:
- A priority line for those drivers who have not qualified or have withdrawn their qualifying time.
- A secondary line for any driver who has not retired the qualifying time.
Those on the priority line leave before those on the secondary line. If a driver who has not retired before has a slower pace than that previous time, INDYCAR can force him to finish the race, so that no one can simply do a slow race to prevent another driver from entering the track before qualifying ends at 5:50 p.m. ET on Saturday.
The top 15 drivers from Saturday advance to Sunday to determine their order in the lineup. Drivers 16 through 33 will start the Indianapolis 500 in that order. If there were more than 33 cars, drivers in 31st place and worse would have to requalify on Sunday to determine the final three spots.
Who won the Indy 500 pole last year?
Rookie Robert Shwartzman won the pole for the 2025 Indianapolis 500 with a four-lap average speed of 232.790 mph.
When is the 2026 Indy 500?
The 2026 Indy 500 is scheduled for Sunday, May 24, 2026 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on FOX and will air on FOX One.
Coverage begins at 10 a.m. ET and the green flag drops at 12:30 p.m. ET.
